Jacob begat Dan and Naphtali from Bilhah the maidservant of Rachel. Dan and Naphtali were therefore full brothers. We traced descendants of Dan to Denmark, in southwest Britain, southern Wales, in northwest Ireland, in Northern England, and in other areas. [We traced Naphtali mainly to Norway but from there many settled in northeast England and southern Scotland. The Normans who conquered England in 1066 mainly came from Benjamin but there were many from both Denmark and Norway among them.] It could be that as many as 25% or more of the inhabitants of these areas have some ancestry Israelites and especially from the Israelite Tribe of Dan. The word Dan in Hebrew means "judgement." The symbols of Dan were a snake, a lion, and a pair of scales. The colors of Dan were probably amber yellow, or light orange.

The Tribe of Dan is often blamed for introducing idolatry into Israel with the Idolatrous Image of Micah. The Bible however tells us that Micah was actually from the Mountain of Ephraim and presumably an Ephraimite. He had a moulded image and then took an itinerant Levite to serve as a priest to it. After that a group from the Tribe of Dan took both the Levite and the Image with them and set it up in their new home in the North.

Judges (NKJV) 17: 1 Now there was a man from the mountains of Ephraim, whose name was Micah. 2 And he said to his mother, 'The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from you, and on which you put a curse, even saying it in my ears, here is the silver with me; I took it.' 2 And his mother said, 'May you be blessed by the LORD, my son!' 3 So when he had returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, 'I had wholly dedicated the silver from my hand to the LORD for my son, to make a carved image and a molded image; now therefore, I will return it to you.' ....

7 Now there was a young man from Bethlehem in Judah, of the family of Judah; he was a Levite, and was staying there. 8 The man departed from the city of Bethlehem in Judah to stay wherever he could find a place. Then he came to the mountains of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, as he journeyed....

Judges 18: 1 In those days there was no king in Israel. And in those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking an inheritance for itself to dwell in; for until that day their inheritance among the tribes of Israel had not fallen to them....

18 When these went into Micah's house and took the carved image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molded image, the priest said to them, 'What are you doing?' 19 And they said to him, 'Be quiet, put your hand over your mouth, and come with us; be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be a priest to the household of one man, or that you be a priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?'

30 Then the children of Dan set up for themselves the carved image; and Jonathan the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land. 31 So they set up for themselves Micah's carved image which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^2. Rabbi Golovanshitz: Good and Bad Qualities, Dan and the Messiah

Samson came from the Tribe of Dan. He had the attributes and characteristics of Dan.

Dan was in some ways the most degenerate of all Israelite Tribes. Dan was inclined to idolatry and fornication.

Jeroboam was the first Israelite King after the Tribes broke away from Judah. He decided that the Tribes would no longer worship God in Jerusalem. He set up two golden bull-calves. One he placed in Beth-el and the other in Dan.

1-Kings 12: 29 And he set up one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan.

There was a man whose father was Egyptian and whose mother was from Dan. He cursed the name of the Almighty and was punished (Leviticus 24:101-1).

Nevertheless, the Tribe of Dan also had a positive side.

Dan was the Gather-in of all the Camps (Numbers 1:25).

Numbers 10: 25 Then the standard of the camp of the children of Dan (the rear guard of all the camps) set out according to their armies; over their army was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.

The word translated as "the rear guard" in Hebrew is "ha-ma-asef" literally "he who gathers in." The Talmud Yerushalmi explained this to mean that anyone from the other Tribes who lost something would have it gathered up by the Tribe of Dan (who traveled last) and returned to him. If an indivual from the other Tribes would lag behind for any reason then the Tribe of Dan would gather them in. There were Commentators who said that if there was anyone who due to spiritual or other weakness found themselves excluded from their own Tribes then Dan would take them in and strengthen them. The Tribe of Dan had the agility to elevate and rehabilitate the spiritual weak who had been ejected from their home base. The Tribe of Dan was able to distince itself from ther Fount of Holinmess and still maintain its integrity.Jacob compared Dan to a snake.

Genesis (NKJV) 49: 17 Dan shall be a serpent by the way, A viper by the path, That bites the horse's heels So that its rider shall fall backward.

Moses used the simile of a lion.

Deuteronomy (NKJV) 33: 22 And of Dan he said:Dan is a lion's whelp; He shall leap from Bashan.

The snake (serpent) represents the powers of evil, of deviousness, who seduces to sin, and arouses to lust. He exemplifies the Evil Impulse, the Satan, and the Angel of Death. He is the one who leads others into temptation, causes them to sin, and then comes to prosecute the sinner and to take away the life of the transgressor. The Powers of Impurity and of the Other Side are likened unto the Serpent who introduced defilement and Damnation into the world.

This is in contrast to the Lion who symbolizes the Forces of Holiness and Purity and whose image is engraved in the Sacred Chariot in the vision of Ezekiel Z(1:10, 10:4).

These different forces came together in the Tribe of Dan. The Forces of Holiness however were the most powerful.

Contradictory attributes were integrated and unified in Samson from the Tribe of Dan. The task of Samson was to use the darker forces to elevate them and bring them over unto the side of Holiness. The Messiah will have a similar aim if the world has not bettered itself when he comes. Nevertheless we have learned throughout the generations that Jews who drew close to the Gentiles even for a valid reason usually brought disaster. The Reform Movement in Germany tried to re-make Judaism in the image of a Germanic Protestant Denomination that just happened to follow the Tradition of Moses. This only increased assimilation of Jews, intermarriage, and anti-Semitism. Gentiles do not like Jews trying too much to be like them.

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3. Rabbi Rizeman: Israel will have Need of Dan

Tsvi Rizeman, "Ratz CeTsvi," cf.

Genesis (NKJV) 49: 16 Dan shall judge his people As one of the tribes of Israel. 17 Dan shall be a serpent by the way, A viper by the path, That bites the horse's heels So that its rider shall fall backward. 18 I have waited for your salvation, O LORD!

Dan was numerous in population. So was Judah. Both were warrior Tribes. Judah went first in the march through the Wilderness and Dan went last. Dan had the qualities of a judge. Dan had an egalitarian approach.

When the Israleites left Egypt and entered the Wilderness they would camp around the Tabernacle. This was a portable shrine constucted out of numerous expensive materials entailing skilled workmanship. Aholiab from the Tribe of Dan helped build the Tabernacle. Aholiab was a Master Craftsman from the Tribe of Dan who together with Bezalel, from the Tribe of Judah worked on building the Tabernacle.

Exodus (NKLV) 31:2 See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the Tribe of Judah. 3 And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, 4 to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, 5 in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship.6 And I, indeed I, have appointed with him Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the Tribe of Dan; and I have put wisdom in the hearts of all the gifted artisans, that they may make all that I have commanded you: 7 the tabernacle of meeting, the ark of the Testimony and the mercy seat that is on it, and all the furniture of the tabernacle.

We see that Dan was an expert worker in different materials.

The Tabernacle was a precursor to the Temple. The Temple was built by King Solomon from the Tribe of Judah but he used a master craftsman who lived in Tyre and whose father was from Naphtali while his mother was from Dan.

2-Chronicles (NKJV) 2: 11 Then Hiram king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon: Because the LORD loves His people, He has made you king over them. 12 Hiram also said: Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who made heaven and earth, for He has given King David a wise son, endowed with prudence and understanding, who will build a temple for the LORD and a royal house for himself! 13 And now I have sent a skillful man, endowed with understanding, Huram my master craftsman 14 (the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre) skilled to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, stone and wood, purple and blue, fine linen and crimson, and to make any engraving and to accomplish any plan which may be given to him, with your skillful men and with the skillful men of my lord David your father.

cf.

1-Kings (NKJV) 7: 14 He was the son of a widow from the Tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a bronze worker; he was filled with wisdom and understanding and skill in working with all kinds of bronze work. So he came to King Solomon and did all his work.

Midrash Breishit Rabah 98:13 the father of Samson was from Dan and his mother from Judah.

The future Messiah will have similarities to Samon only his father will be from Judah and his mother from Dan.

Midrash Yalkut Shimeoni, Breishit, "VaYechi," 109: re "Judah is a lions whelp" (Genesis 49:9), This is the Mashiah ben David (Messiah son of David) who will come out of two tribes. His father will be from Judah and his mother from Dan.

[So too, Brit-Am findings as shown in our book "The Tribes" show how thoughout history ethnic groups traceable to offshoots from Judah and Dan tended to be associated with each other. For example in southeast Turkey - Northern Syria the Danite polity of the Dananu was associated with Yadi which was a northern enclave from Judah. Later we find the Jutes from Judah alongside the Danes from Dan in the area of Denmark.]

Both Dan and Judah are symbolized by a "lion:" "Judah is a lion's whelp" (Genesis 49:9). "Dan shall be a serpent by the way" (Genesis 49:17).

Genesis 49: 9 Judah is a lion's whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him?

In the Future when we draw close to the End of Days we shall have need of the Tribe of Dan.

The name of Dan is hinted at in the Song of Moses:

Deuteronomy (NKJV) 32: 36 For the LORD will judge His people And have compassion on His servants, When He sees that their power is gone, And there is no one remaining, bond or free.

cf. Deuteronomy 32:36 the expression translated as "will judge" in Hebrew is "YaDin." This word is built on the same word-root of the Name Dan. It is understood to indicate the Tribe of Dan.

Deuteronomy (NKJV) 32: 43 Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people; For He will avenge the blood of His servants, And render vengeance to His adversaries; He will provide atonement for His land and His people.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^4. Rabbi Senior: Dan Helps Other Israelites Repent and Return to the Truth

Rabbi Chaim ben Senior, "Imri Chen," Breishit:

Both Judah and Dan have the qualities of a lion. They cleave to the goal, even when their pride is impugned. When they see they are in error they own up to the truth. The Tribe of Dan had a hidden barely evident hankering after sexual indulgence which led it to incline towards idolatry. This trace of weakness within them was also a source of strength. They understood spiritual weakesses in other Israelites and so had the ability to correct them and lead them back on the right track.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^5. Rabbi Tana: Dan is a Second-in-Command Type of Person and knows How to Wheel and Deal

Baruch TANA, "Ari Nachalataynu,"

Genesis (NKJV) 49: 17 Dan shall be a serpent by the way, A viper by the path, That bites the horse's heels So that its rider shall fall backward.

Dan was the last camp in the marching order. Dan protected the Israelites from being attacked from behind. Dan is a warrior.

So too, when going into battle in the IDF: The Commander goes in front, the Second-in-Command protects the rear.

Dan was camped in the north. This is the side of WEALTH.

Job 37 (ISV): 22 From the north he brings gold; around God is awesome splendor.

Dan has financial sense. He knows how to wheel and deal in commerce. Dan is very strict not to encroach on the monetary rights of others. When Dan would find something that others had lost they would pick it up, mind it, and return it to its owners.

The Tribe of Dan have a weakness in sexual matters. They are aware of it and because of this are liable to be very strict in such matters.

Dan had a large population, was expert in its craftsmanship, used its wealth and talents in the service of the Almighty, and had the qualities of a warrior.

In our time the area of Tel Aviv and its surroundings is known as 'Gush Dan," i.e. the Section of Dan. This is its official name. It has qualities like those associated with Dan. Yafo (Jaffa) by Tel Aviv is the border of Israel by the sea (Joshua 19:46). This area is the foundational building block of the Modern State of Israel.

Wood for the Temple Service was imported to Judah through the Port of Yafo (2-Chronicles 2, Ezra 3:7).

Wood for building the First Temple was sent on raft to the Port of Yafo (2-Chronicles 2:15). ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^6. Rabbi Wolfvitz: Dan and the Future Messiah

Rafael ben Tsadok HaLevi Wolfvitz, "Heical Rachel."

The present day settlers of Land of Israel in this generation have attributes of Dan. Many are morally corrupt, sexually promiscuous, and some are intermixed with non-Jews. Even though most Jews are descended from Judah it may be (he suggests) that in our generation the settlers of Israel are a reincarnation from the Tribe of Dan. [This is a point we cannot really understand but it may be worth noting.]

cf. Gersonides (Ralbag) on:

Genesis (NKJV) 49: 17 Dan shall be a serpent by the way, A viper by the path, That bites the horse's heels So that its rider shall fall backward.

The Tribe of Dan were warriors who fought against and destroyed the enemy. They fought against all the non-Israelites who were pursuing Israel and trying to attack them from behind. Dan took revenge against the enemies of Israel.

Genesis 46: 23 The son of Dan was Hushim.

Numbers 26: 42 These are the sons of Dan according to their families: of Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These are the families of Dan according to their families.

Dan had only one son. In Genesis 46:23 it says his name was Hushim. In Numbers 26:42 his name as given as Shuham.

In the Bible it happens that prominent people have more than one name. Shuham may have been his proper name and Hushim a king of nick-name.Hushim in Hebrew reversed and with a minor metathesis (switching around of the letters) spells Mashiah.The Hebrew is spelt only using the vowels.H-u-Sh-I-M M-a-Sh-I-aH

חושים

משיח

Dan is destined to bring the Mashiah. Other Letter combinations in the Hebrew Bible also indicate that the Tribe of Dan will help speeden the Coming of the Messiah..

1. The Children of Leah: These are characterized by the quality of "Chesed" i.e. of Compassion and charity. They were mostly in the south.

2. The Children of Rachel: These are characterized by the quality of "Gevurah" i.e. heroism and might. These were mostly in the middle.

3. The Children of the Handmaidens (including Dan): These are characterized by the quality of "Tiferet" i.e. truth, glory, and honor. These were mostly in the north.

The way of Leah has something of the feminine principle. The quality of Rachel is more masculine. The conquest of the Land was mainly through the Sons of Rachel. Dan was the son of Bilhah maidservant of Rachel.

In some ways Dan is a polar opposite to Judah but the two Tribes feel a closeness to each other and may be found together. They tend to complement each other.

There was a Connection between Dan and Yavan (Greece): Dan is associated with the Feast of Channukha.

Naphtali and Asher were the neighbors of Dan in the north. Asher had many females, Naphtali many males. [See "Mesheck Chocmah" for another opinion.]

Aholiab from the Tribe of Dan was teamed together with Betsalael from Judah in building the Tabernacle. This parallels: King Solomon from Judah and Hiram from Dan who helped Solomon build the Temple. In building the Tabernacle Betsalel from Judah was occupied more with hard materials, - gold, silver, bronze, and other metals. Oholiab from Dan was concerned more with softer materials such as the coverings.

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Negative Qualities of Dan :

Dan inclined to pride and to idolatry. Dan was in two places, both north and south. The north inclined to idolatry and the south to adultery.

Dan was crafty.

Jacob the Patriarch compared Dan to a serpent and a snake was depicted on his Tribal Standard. The snake (serpent) represents idolatry. Its essence is pride.

Positive Qualities of Dan:

There is also a positive aspect to the serpent, otherwise it would not have been made the symbol of an Israelite Tribe.

We see in the case of the Bronze Serpent where the image of a snake can have positive connotations as well as negative ones:

Numbers (NKJV) 21: 4 Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way. 5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses: 'Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul [c]loathes this worthless bread.' 6 So the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died. 7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, 'We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you; pray to the LORD that He take away the serpents from us.' So Moses prayed for the people. 8 Then the LORD said to Moses, 'Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.' 9 So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.

Rabbi Miel notes that the positive aspect of the serpent is known as "Nachash DeKedusha" [Snake of Holiness]: It embodies the principle of judgement and adjudication.

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Dan was Intelligent

Dan had the ability to correctly define legal matters and to decide judgements correctly.

Both northern (Judgement) and southern (Kindness) qualities merged in Dan.

The Blessings in the Bible given to the Children of Israel were epitomized most strongly in the Tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. Ephraim dominates Britain and her daughters, Manasseh is pre-eminent in the USA.

The "KHAZARS" were a semi-nomadic people who became prominent in southern Russia and its neighborhood in the 600s to 900s CE. They were quite powerful with a far-reaching influence and well-developed civilization.

Chosen People
The Ancient Celts and related peoples referred to themselves as Hebrews.The inhabitants of Britain pertained mainly to clans belonging to Joseph. The Jews need to believe in the God of Israel and keep the Torah.